We love the History department. We aren’t saying this just because we are History students but because we believe students deserve a substantial say in the administrative decisions made about courses offered in the department and about the professors who teach them — and the History department excels in this area.
Like all departments, the history department has major representatives. A department’s major representatives are students who are chosen or elected to represent students. They often work on planning events, designing merchandise, and helping the department out with faculty searches. But perhaps unlike some other departments, the History department gives student representatives a say in official program decisions.
Representatives in History are divided into different subcommittees to work on different projects for the department. Two of the most collaborative and impactful types of subcommittees are those that are involved with hiring decisions and curricular considerations. For these two subcommittees, a handful of representatives are given the chance to speak with the entire department in meetings to provide insight and input on both potential tenure-track faculty and future course offerings. It is through these subcommittees — we serve on both — that students can truly engage with administrative decisions that directly impact their academic experience at Oberlin.
As major representatives, we both concur that the emphasis on student engagement with the department is, arguably, one of the best approaches present in the College. If other departments do not already do this, we implore them to hear our reflections as students and to utilize the History department’s model of student engagement.
Every single academic department at Oberlin tries to constantly improve their offerings, hire better faculty, create more opportunities, and deliver on students’ expectations. The History department, more so than any other we have heard of, understands that this improvement requires student and faculty harmony. It also recognizes that this harmony requires an equal exchange of ideas, perspectives, and feedback. Students are not treated as simply temporary constituents of the department, but as equal partners in its betterment and upkeep.
In fall 2023, the History department sought to hire two tenure-track faculty: one in Chinese history and one in Russian history. Student representatives on the hiring subcommittee were divided between these two searches; both of us were involved in the Russian history professor search. As part of the search, we had access to the three candidates’ resumes, dissertations, and applications. We attended every job talk, were provided candidates’ sample syllabi, collected all student evaluations, and even had lunch with the three candidates at The 1833, which allowed us to informally learn more about the candidates’ pedagogical approaches and academic experiences, and get a feel for how they interact with students outside the purview of History faculty. The job search process was a thoughtful experience — the department placed an incredible amount of trust in us.
After having gone through these portions of the job search at a meeting with all History faculty, each of us were given the opportunity to reflect upon different qualities of each candidate in an open dialogue. Our input was not simply brushed off as a formality; rather, the faculty heard our opinions for almost half an hour. Almost every single faculty member asked at least one question, each one trying to gauge the student perspective of the candidates: they understood that a hiring decision would impact the lives of students for possibly decades to come.
This was probably one of the most rewarding experiences we’ve had with the department, as our input was genuinely utilized in the final hiring decision, and we are incredibly grateful for having had the opportunity to have a say in who would be the next tenure-track Russian history professor at Oberlin for years to come. This decision had a direct impact on our academic experiences at Oberlin, and it is because of the department’s emphasis on student engagement that we have been able to help shape that experience.
During our work as members of History’s curriculum subcommittee, we were given the chance to workshop and significantly amend the curricular requirements for the major. At the broad level, we helped amend the structure of all of the department’s 300-level courses, and at the granular level, we provided feedback and amendments to the department’s required Introduction to Historical Methods course, HIST 299.
When the department sought to create a new course focused on archives, we were invited to the meeting to discuss the proposed syllabus and structure. That the four major representatives spoke more than the dozen-plus faculty present is a testament to the keenness of the faculty to engage with students. The finalized course, HIST 399, which will launch in spring 2026, is a product of this collaboration — a collaboration from both sides of the classroom. By treating students as pedagogical interlocutors, the department’s faculty routinely acknowledges the value of hearing about the lived experiences of students and the validity of student concerns.
Being major representatives has allowed us and many of our peers to engage more closely with the department, get to know faculty members, voice our perspectives, and aid the department in its quest to better itself. The experience has allowed us to help shape the curricular program we love and have a behind-the-curtain look at the inner workings of an academic department. With the latitude we are given by faculty to pursue projects and raise concerns, our work in only the past two years has had an impact on the experience of other students, all thanks to the faith of the department. Every successful academic endeavor should be a collaboration of students and faculty to ensure representation of all the people affected. The History department understands and embodies this maxim — something that we, its students, are truly grateful for. We believe that all departments should adopt this approach to its operations.
